In breaking news, Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and Interim Raw General Manager John Laurinaitis revealed exclusively to WWE.com the Superstars who will compete for the WWE Title in the Raw Elimination Chamber Match: WWE Champion CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler, Chris Jericho, R-Truth, The Miz and Kofi Kingston.
With all eyes on Punk’s title, the six competitors will brave the redoubtable dome live on pay-per-view Feb. 19.
For the uninitiated, the Elimination Chamber Match is a bout in which two participants begin in the ring and the remaining four are held within pods in each corner. These Superstars are released into the match at five-minute intervals, with the objective being to eliminate each opponent via pinfall or submission. The last Superstar standing is declared the winner.
Measuring 16 feet in height and 36 feet in diameter, the Elimination Chamber has been unleashed on the WWE Universe 13 times since its debut in 2002 at Survivor Series. Heading into this year’s event, the Raw match participants bring with them wildly varying levels of experience inside the structure.
WWE Champion CM Punk evaluates how his match with Dolph Ziggler went Sunday night, and how he would grade the match’s guest official, Raw Interim GM John Laurinaitis.
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WWE.com Exclusive: CM Punk talks about retaining the WWE Championship and how he would rate John Laurinaitis’ job performance
[ Digitals | Screen caps ]
WWE Champion CM Punk def. Dolph Ziggler (Special Guest Referee John Laurinaitis)
ST. LOUIS – Whether Interim Raw General Manager and Executive Vice President of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis intended it or not – CM Punk stood tall over Dolph Ziggler in the WWE Championship Match at Royal Rumble, proudly showing off the most coveted prize in WWE.
Rather than risk seeming biased in light of his upcoming performance appraisal by WWE COO Triple H, Mr. Laurinaitis excused himself from officiating duties in the WWE Championship Match. This ultimately allowed Punk and Ziggler to do what they do best in an evenly- officiated contest.
The sold-out WWE Universe inside St. Louis’ Scottrade Center witnessed the two Superstars lay everything on the line, highlighting the importance of the WWE Championship and The Grandest Stage of Them All waiting on the horizon in Miami.
The contest began with each Superstar trying to get a feel for each other’s in-ring abilities. Momentum swings were fairly even, both ring warriors trading blows and trying to make each other tap out. There were unforgettable moments and near-pinfalls that could have crowned a new champion, but ultimately these did not seal the deal for either competitor. At one point, Ziggler lined up Punk for his signature face-crusher, but Punk countered with a sit-down powerbomb. Although CM Punk had Ziggler defeated on a few separate occasions, the referee was knocked out for two of those moments and Mr. Laurinaitis was checking on the officials condition, leaving no one call the match. Finally, The Voice of the Voiceless took control of the match, hoisted the Dolph Ziggler over his shoulders and put him to sleep. As the referee made the count, Mr. Laurinaitis slipped inside the ring and joined in on the three-count.
WWE.com has posted two new features: Bring it Back! SmackDown’s Fist Set and Top 25: Stunning Royal Rumble Match Statistics. Digitals of Punk are included in each feature; these have been added to the gallery.
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Digitals > Other > A fistful of classic Smackdown set photos
Digitals > Other > Top 25: Stunning Royal Rumble Match Statistics
By: John Clapp | January 20, 2012
By declaring outright his intentions of screwing CM Punk out of his WWE Championship at the 25th annual Royal Rumble event, John Laurinaitis revealed himself to be a man of deep resentment. That’s according to the one person who has known the Interim General Manager of Raw and EVP of Talent Relations longer than anybody else: his older brother, WWE Hall of Famer Road Warrior Animal.
In an exclusive interview, Animal told WWE.com that his brother’s vendetta against The Second City Saint is relatively easy to explain. Whereas Punk has reached the uppermost echelon in sports entertainment – the WWE Championship – Laurinaitis, an accomplished grappler in his own right, was never able to parlay his success overseas into a main event slot in the U.S.
“It’s one thing to be popular in Japan, and it’s another to make it in the U.S.,” Animal said. “That’s one thing that eats John from the inside, deep in his gut. I think he carries animosity over that, because he never got to be ‘the guy’ in the U.S. the way that CM Punk is today. I think he’s getting on Punk’s case because Punk is living the dream that John wishes he could have accomplished.”
Although the WWE Universe knows Laurinaitis primarily for his role on Raw SuperShow and, perhaps, for his time as one half of the oft-ridiculed Dynamic Dudes, less familiar to the WWE Universe is Laurinaitis’ impressive legacy inside Japanese squared circles.
By: Mitch Passero | January 20, 2012
CM Punk has faced – and overcome – many challenges during his rise to becoming WWE Champion. Not only did he fight tooth-and-nail to wrest the coveted title from John Cena – twice – he had to work just as hard to get it back from Alberto Del Rio. However, after everything that’s transpired on Raw SuperShow over the past several weeks, Punk could be up against his biggest challenge yet when he faces Dolph Ziggler at the 25th anniversary of Royal Rumble.
On Raw SuperShow, EVP of Talent Relations and Interim Raw General Manager John Laurinaitis admitted that he’s going to try and screw Punk out of his title when he serves as the guest referee at Royal Rumble (WATCH). And if history is any indication, guest refs have been notorious for being anything but fair. Immediately after the shocking confession, Punk responded in a WWE.com Exclusive Video. (WATCH)
Finally, on top of worrying about what Laurinaitis might do, Punk will have his hands full in battling Ziggler – who has proven to be a formidable competitor for any Superstar. His resume includes Intercontinental, United States, and World Heavyweight Championship reigns.
Now that he has shown his true colors, will Laurinaitis get what he wants? Or will the WWE’s Second City Saint find a way to leave Royal Rumble with his title intact?
Source: wwe.com
Hear what WWE Champion CM Punk had to say after Interim Raw GM John Laurinaitis’ shocking confession that he’ll try to cost him the title at the 25th anniversary of the Royal Rumble.
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WWE.com Exclusive: CM Punk reacts to John Laurinaitis’ confession
WWE.com spoke to John Laurinaitis about his confession that he’s going to screw CM Punk at Royal Rumble. What promise did Laurinaitis make about the Jan. 29 pay-per-view?
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WWE.com Exclusive: John Laurinaitis explains his actions following Raw SuperShow
Special guest referees: Not so black and white
By: Alex Giannini | January 16, 2012
Eyebrows across the WWE Universe were raised when Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and Interim Raw General Manager John Laurinaitis named himself special guest referee in the WWE Championship Match between CM Punk and Dolph Ziggler at the 25th anniversary of the Royal Rumble on Jan. 29.
Because of the Interim GM’s rocky relationship with CM Punk, the WWE Universe is left to wonder what role Laurinaitis might play in determining the WWE Championship. Despite being true to his word and banning Jack Swagger and Vickie Guerrero from ringside at the Rumble, the WWE Universe is left unconvinced of Mr. Laurinaitis’s ability to remain impartial – at least according to numerous posts on Facebook and Twitter. If he does work his way into deciding the outcome of the match, just how stacked will the deck be against The Second City Savior with the title on the line? For that matter, should Dolph Ziggler feel all that comfortable with the new guest referee? After all, Laurinaitis lived up to his word on the Jan. 9 Raw SuperShow, and banned both Jack Swagger and Vickie Guerrero from ringside.
As history has shown, when a WWE authority figure works him or herself into a guest officiating role during an important match, there’s just no telling what might happen. Though it’s a pretty safe bet that in their WWE Championship Match at the Royal Rumble, either the champion or challenger will not be happy with the guest official’s final decision.
WWE Champion CM Punk vs. Dolph Ziggler (Special Guest Referee John Laurinaitis)
At the 25th anniversary of the WWE Royal Rumble, CM Punk will defend his WWE Championship against Dolph Ziggler in a highly anticipated title bout. In addition to making the match, Interim Raw General Manager John Laurinaitis declared he would be the special referee. For Punk, the Royal Rumble provides the opportunity not only to put the loudmouth challenger in his place, but also to remain under the skin of Mr. Laurinaitis. For Dolph Ziggler, the Rumble allows the WWE’s resident showoff the chance to turn words into actions and walk out of St. Louis with the WWE Championship.
After weeks of back-and-forth between the two Superstars that included the showoff challenger stating his intent to beat Punk and become a “real” champion, Punk and Ziggler will finally settle their score at the Rumble, further ensuring that the pay-per-view’s 25th year will be a memorable one.
Perhaps the most egregious affront to The Straight Edge Superstar’s well-being during the course of the past month came during the final Monday Night Raw of 2011. With the cards stacked squarely against him by Interim Raw General Manager John Laurinaitis, The Second City Savior faced an uphill battle to make sure his hometown Chicago faithful left the arena happy. In the second of three title-free Gauntlet Matches scheduled by Laurinaitis, Punk faced Ziggler after defeating Jack Swagger just minutes earlier.
